


desire of the spirit

by murakamism



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Ereri Week, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, eren cries a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-07
Updated: 2015-06-07
Packaged: 2018-04-03 07:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4091743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/murakamism/pseuds/murakamism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fate can fuck itself on a blade, Eren thinks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	desire of the spirit

**Author's Note:**

> **For Ereri Week Day Seven: Soulmates**
> 
> What the fuck is this. i think u can tell that i was originally going to make it angsty but gave up halfway through lol. I’m too weak for another sad ending.

There is a dark feather on Levi’s torso, right on a spot of skin covering one of his ribs. Next to it is a long scar. Underneath it is a bruise.

Eren sits quietly in front of him. He runs his thumb over the imprint.

Levi’s body is rough and beaten. His muscles are hard underneath his bruised skin. Eren knows him, knows how to touch him, knows where to press his lips.

He loves the man. That is no question.

The captain runs his hand through Eren’s hair. Eren looks up and meets his eyes. He smiles, the edge of his mouth lopsidedly curving upwards. Levi’s fingers trail across the edge of Eren’s jaw. His touch is gentle, too gentle than is fit for either of them.

He leans into the touch, pressing his cheek against Levi’s hand.

“I missed you,” Eren admits. He smiles and nuzzles his face against the captain’s hand. Levi’s poker face falters for a second and Eren grins wider.

The captain doesn’t reply but he exhales softly, his shoulders falling back, and it’s enough for Eren to know that he’s missed him too.

Levi sits closer and drops his hand to tug at Eren’s legs. The brunet shuffles closer.

“Tell me about your assignment,” Eren asks. Levi hums, his fingers brushing over the brunet’s knee.

“It was boring,” Levi replies, his tone flat. Eren’s green eyes are bright even in the darkness, their shine visible even though his pupils are wide-blown. Levi swipes at his collarbone with his thumb, pressing against his tanned skin.

There should be a bruise or two but there is none.

“All I had to do was sit through a shitty meeting where nobles did nothing but kiss ass,” Levi continues. “I don’t know why the fuck I had to be there.”

Eren snorts.

“Let’s not talk about that anymore,” Levi speaks up, because he knows Eren is going to say something about it. The brunet pouts, although it’s only for show.

Levi presses their lips together in a firm kiss.

“Aren’t you going to give me a proper welcome back?” the captain asks. His voice is low and smooth. Eren grins, his eyes fluttering half-shut as he watches every movement of Levi’s mouth.

“What? You didn’t appreciate what I did the first time?”

Eren sounds mildly scandalized. Levi glances at him. The brunet bites his lip, struggling to keep down a giggle. The captain frowns and taps him hard on the chin.

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I know.”

Eren grins, all teeth, and Levi sighs.

He reaches up and gets another kiss—deeper this time. Eren hums against his mouth. His arms wrap around Levi’s shoulders and the captain shuts his eyes tight.

This is how their nights go.

He wouldn’t trade them for anything.

 

 

Everyone is born with a small tattoo somewhere on their body.

Somewhere in the world is another person with the exact same imprint. They say these two people are soul mates.

It’s a romantic notion. People respect it, even when the titans exist right outside of their doorstep. Even when there is war and poverty, even if the chances of your soul mate being dead are high.

Eren has always thought of it as nothing but a silly thing to preoccupy yourself with. When you join the Survey Corps, you’re pretty much good as dead.

(He is a fighter. He would rather die as a soldier than die of starvation inside the Walls)

Even so, there are things that are unbearably human, things that even Fate or the goddesses cannot control.

Love. Faith. Trust.

Every time he slays a titan he can feel the thrum of his heartbeat.

Fate can fuck itself on a blade, Eren thinks.

 

 

Eren and Levi lie in bed, their chests rising and falling softly almost in unison. The sunlight bleeds in through the window above the mattress.

The silence is comfortable, even though they really should be getting up soon. Eren sits up, supports himself on an elbow and faces Levi. The captain’s gaze flits over to him.

Levi’s tattoo is dark and heavy against his pale skin.

It’s stupid that such a thing is even upsetting, Eren thinks, but he can’t help the sudden prickling behind his eyes. His vision blurs for a second and Eren blinks repeatedly, trying to will the tears away.

Levi sits up. He grabs Eren’s other hand and presses his lips to the inside of Eren’s wrist. The brunet opens his mouth to speak but no words come out. Levi is staring hard at him again.

The captain kisses him softly on his open mouth.

“Don’t think about that bullshit,” Levi whispers, his fingers gripping Eren’s own. Eren looks away, an irrational guilt forming in his chest.

“Eren, look at me,” Levi commands. His tone is firm but his voice is low, careful. Eren can’t help but meet his eyes.

Levi sighs. He leans forward, pressing their foreheads together.

“Didn’t we both think it was stupid?” Levi asks again. Eren sniffs, hoping very much he won’t start to cry. Of course they thought it was stupid. Still, it makes him feel inadequate. Like they don’t fit as well as he thinks. Like he doesn’t deserve any of this.

Levi kisses him again, one of his hands reaching up to cradle Eren’s jaw.

“I love you,” Eren whispers, because suddenly it’s all he wants to say.

His voice cracks. He’s mortified.

“I love you too,” Levi replies, voice just as quiet but much more composed. The fact that the captain even returns his words comforts Eren. He smiles and buries his face in the older man’s shoulder.

Of course Levi loves him too. There’s nothing else to be done. There’s nothing else that they need, is there?

With Levi’s hand running through his hair, Eren almost forgets about his body: smooth and unblemished, free from scars and bruises, healed over and over until his skin is like a child’s.

Eren is a blank canvas. He was born with no tattoo.

(Levi had suggested he get an artificial one to match his if it bothered him that much. Eren doesn’t think it’s right; it’s the principle of the thing, you see)

(Should monsters belong to anyone?)

 

 

Eren had been the one to kiss Levi first.

They’d been friends for a while, or at least as close to friends as possible. It was long overdue, if you asked him.

Now, whenever they come back from an expedition they lock themselves up in Levi’s bedroom. It doesn’t matter if they’re too exhausted to move, too tired to fuck. All Levi needs is to hold Eren down, feel his heartbeat and every breath.

Eren’s body is always whole, always flawless, even while he cracks.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Levi tells him. “They knew you’d gone berserk and approached you anyway.”

But it is his fault, isn’t it? He shouldn’t have lost control again. He shouldn’t have killed those soldiers in his path—

Eren holds his arms up above his head, covering his eyes. His chest shakes and his lip quivers.

Levi presses soft kisses up his stomach, his chest, his collarbone, his neck. He lays his head down on Eren’s chest and sighs. The brunet finally lifts his arms to uncover his face.

“What if that had been _you_?” Eren croaks, voice shaky. Levi pulls himself up and stares down at Eren, narrowing his eyes.

“I am neither that fragile nor an idiot.” Levi says. His eyes soften and he carefully brushes away some hair from Eren’s face.

“And besides,” the captain continues. “That’s why Hanji does her experiments. So you can learn control.”

Eren swallows, and then nods because he can’t speak.

He tells himself it will never happen again.

 

 

“You’re too fucking reckless,” Levi hisses. Eren wants to speak but he can’t seem to move his jaw. He can’t manage any words. He makes a small noise, a sleepy hum, and Levi scowls.

He’s only mad because Eren almost died, the brunet thinks.

Somehow, it’s pretty normal.

Levi spares him another glance and sighs. He sits back and stretches out his legs, groaning with exhaustion. Eren is barely lucid next to him, propped up against a tree.

They’ll have to wait a little while until Eren is conscious enough before they can try to find the rest of the Survey Corps. Titans roam all around them, but for now they’re safe in a thick forest. Hopefully.

“Captain,” Eren says softly. He opens up his arms and leans forward. Levi looks alarmed. The brunet falls against the captain’s chest and blinks up at him, his green eyes foggy behind his falling eyelids.

“Thank you for saving me,” he continues. He buries his nose into Levi’s shoulder and the captain exhales sharply. Eren is ready to drift into unconsciousness—that much is clear.

Still, Levi scratches the back of Eren’s head and tries not to melt when the brunet falls forward even further, nuzzling his face against the captain’s chest.

This isn’t the time, Levi thinks, but Eren needs his rest.

And he will just have to protect him.

“I don’t know why you keep doing it,” Eren muses. Levi raises a brow.

“It’s because you keep getting in trouble.”

“No, I mean... you must be tired. Of always saving me.”

Levi yanks his brown hair sharply. Eren winces, looking up. The captain’s eyes are narrowed. Eren blearily wonders what he’s done.

“I’d do it again and again, you idiot. Have some faith.” Levi says, and even though Eren is drowsy he can feel a thought clicking into place in his head.

It’s too far away for him to follow right now. He’s not too sure, but he knows he’s smiling.

“I love you too, Levi, and I also wish the titans would stop trying to eat us.”

Levi huffs, caught off-guard. He chuckles then, and it spills free like a birdsong. Eren is just happy that the captain’s laughing, but he’s much too tired to join in.

The brunet closes his eyes and presses his face against Levi’s chest again. He wants to reach underneath the older man’s shirt, just to check if his tattoo is really there. But, no.

He listens to Levi’s heartbeat. It’s strong and steady like a war drum, like horses galloping, like the rhythm of an evening fuck.

He grins, snippets of dream and memory starting to flood into his head.

“Go to sleep,” Levi tells him. Levi’s voice rumbles through his chest; Eren can feel it. It is soothing, warm, protective.

The captain’s arms are strong around him.

If they die before the day ends, Eren will still be sure of one thing.

Levi will protect him and he will protect Levi until the end.

Names were never needed for what they have.


End file.
